Tributus

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A payment or contribution made by one party to another, often as a sign of submission or recognition of authority; a tax or levy imposed by a government or ruler; a show of respect or gratitude through giving
2. An imposed or voluntarily given sum or item from a subordinate to a superior, typically as a tax; a financial charge levied by an authority; an offering made to honor or acknowledge someone or something
3. An obligatory or voluntary transfer of money or goods to a ruling power, usually as a tax or fee; a governmental or official charge on property or income; an expression of homage or appreciation through donation

Etymology: The Latin "tributus" is the past participle of "tribuere," meaning "to assign" or "to allot," and it comes from "tribus," the word for a division of the Roman people. Its noun form, "tributum," was originally a tax that Romans assessed by tribe, so the payment was named for the groups that paid it. Only later did the term come to mean the money or goods a conquered people handed over to Rome. English "tribute" descends from that noun through Old French, and it kept the older sense of compulsory payment to a superior power. The tie to the tribe has long been forgotten, but the word still carries the sense of something allotted and handed over.

Synonyms: tax, tribute, levy, duty, impost

Antonyms: exemption, rebate, refund